REAR ELEVATION: regular squared coursed rubble with tooled ashlar rybats and lintels to openings. Regular fenestration. Various later additions to attic. Some boundary walls retained with mews buildings to Queensferry Street lane. Various later alterations to convert to car parking, various later steel garage doors inserted.

Notes

Well-detailed tenement design by James Gillespie Graham. This end block turns the corner into Queensferry Street and is prominently situated at the edge of the former Walker Estate. The plain but well-executed finish and the inclusion of a 4th storey allows the tenement to assert itself over the surrounding streetscape, which is predominantly 2-and 3-storey. The anthemion balconies are a particularly good survival and echo the simple neo Greek interiors which originally featured.
James Gillespie Graham was best known for designing country houses and churches in the Gothic style, and his work was predominantly on Gothic churches and castellated country houses. He produced relatively little classical work, but in addition to Gray's House in Elgin (see separate listing) his most notable work was the Moray Estate. The monumental style of the architecture, in which he was influenced by Adam's Charlotte Square (see separate listing) can also be seen in Alva Street which takes the form of end pavilions flanking a central run of terraced townhouses.
(List description revised 2009 as part of re-survey.)

References

Ordnance Survey, Large Scale Town Plan, (1849-53); John Wood, Plan of the City of Edinburgh, including all the latest and intended improvements (1823); J Gifford, C McWilliam, D M Walker, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh (1988) p. 369; Howard Colvin, A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600 -1840, (1995).

Buildings are assigned to one of three categories according to their relative importance. All listed buildings receive equal legal protection, and protection applies equally to the interior and exterior of all listed buildings regardless of category.

ACategory A

Buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type. (Approximately 8% of the total).

BCategory B

Buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered. (Approximately 51% of the total).

C(S)Category C(S)

Buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional buildings which group well with others in categories A and B. (Approximately 41% of the total).